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Final Fantasy I
Game by Squaresoft
For the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
Armor Guide
Written by Reverend Eric "Vegita" Johnson(VegitaBOD@aol.com)
Version 3.141
Sections:
I - Introduction
II - Armor Information
III - Armor Chart
IV - Armor (Body-Type)
V - Shields
VI - Helms
VII - Gauntlets
VIII - Bracelets
IX - Various
A - Revision History
B - Thanks
C - No Thanks
================================ Final Fantasy ================================
------------------------I: Introduction------------------------
================================ Final Fantasy ================================
Welcome! I am Vegita, Guardian Of Destiny, and I see you want help for the
Nintendo game "Final Fantasy". Rock on! This is my 2nd guide for the game,
and although I still shy away from a full-fledged FAQ - probably 'cause the
game doesn't need ANOTHER one - I still managed to find something that the game
DOES need: a guide dedicated to the armor. Now, granted, people will probably
tell me that this particular type of guide for such an outdated game is a waste
of time, but I say "Pshaw!"
Recently, I found myself playing through the game again (nostalgia, mostly).
My party (3 Black Belts and a Red Mage) were in Elfland, and I was wondering
how much of a difference there was between my Red Mage's Chain Armor and a
Copper Bracelet (would it be worth the cost to find out?). Rather than waste
my hard-fought money, I opted to go online and seek a FAQ to answer my
question. Going to my #1 source for gaming help - www.GameFAQs.com - I found
that there were no easily-accessable Armor Guides. I had to sift through the
larger walkthroughs just to find the delicious contents I had been hoping to
attain. "What the devil!" I exclaimed aloud (much to the dismay of my brother,
whom was trying to talk on the phone). "I need to make an Armor FAQ, stat!"
And so here I am, penning my thoughts as well as the information you
(hopefully) need.
First off, let's get one thing straight: Even though I am Vegita, I will try to
write from an un-biased point of view (although I still think I'm the best at
everything). Second of all, if I catch anyone copying all or part of this FAQ,
ANY part of this FAQ (not counting little, inconsequential sentences like
"First off, let's get one thing straight"), I will destroy you. I will rip you
limb from limb like the excessively weak individual you are, and then I will
sue you for copyright infringement. Well, ok, maybe I'll just sue you, but if
I got the chance I'd certainly go for the ripping of limbs from other limbs.
Third of all, I do not own the rights to this game, the names of the characters
in this game or FAQ, or have any ownership whatsoever of this game (except for
the cartridge sitting in my room, that is). Those are the property of their
respective owners. If I find a website with this FAQ on it, and it has been
changed in any way, does not give me proper credit, or is selling it without my
knowledge and consent, then I WILL have my lawyers contact that site. Are we
clear (this means YOU, Vertsk8!)?
================================ Final Fantasy ================================
-------------------------II: Armor List-------------------------
================================ Final Fantasy ================================
All right, let's get down to business. I've broken up the armor list into 5
sections: Armor (Body-Type), Shields, Helms, Gauntlets, and Bracelets. These
are filled with an alphabetical listing of each piece of armor in that
category, followed by the individual statistics of the armor. Here is a
preview of the system:
-----[Armor Name]-----
Absorb Rate: [Number]
Evasion %: [Number]
Cost: [Price]
Purchase Locations: [City Name(s)] --- If you need more information
Find Locations: [Item Location(s)] about where a city is, consult
Who Can Equip It: [Character Classes] another FAQ or the map at
Special Properties: [Properties] www.GameFAQs.com
If I feel the need to (which I can pretty much guarantee I will), I'll include
some various thoughts about each item, its' applications in the game, and maybe
even a little history. You never know, you might even learn something!
...or not. It'll probably be inaccurate information. Heck, let's just save
you the trouble and stop reading now.
-----Brief Note about Armor Ratings-----
Armor comes equippable in 4 different types (Body, Helmets, Gauntlets, and
Shields). You can only have 1 of each type of armor equipped at any time, so
it's important to pick which armor you want equipped on what character. For
example:
BRAD the Fighter has Chain Armor, a Cap, a Wooden Shield, and Gloves
equipped. He has 1 piece of armor from each group - Body (Chain), Helm
(Cap), Shield (Wooden), and Gauntlet (Gloves). If he were to find some
Copper Gauntlets, he would remove his Gloves and replace them with the
Gauntlets for a boost in Damage Absorbtion. Removing another piece of
armor, such as the Cap, would be folly - although the Copper Gauntlets give
more Absorbtion than his Cap, he can only have 1 type of Gauntlet equipped
at the same time. Thus, when he tries to equip the Gauntlets, the "E-"
equip sign moves off of the Gloves and onto the Gauntlets. BRAD needs to
learn to keep his equipment in check!
Also, there are more than just those 4 types armor, despite the fact that they
still fall under one of the 4 categories. Here is another example:
JASN the Fighter has found a Copper Bracelet, and wants to equip it. Upon
putting it in his Armor Inventory and equipping it, he notices that the "E"
sign moves off of his armor and onto the Ring. "What's this?", says JASN,
"Why did this move off of my armor when it is only a ring?" The answer is
simple, JASN - in the world of Final Fantasy, rings are magical little items
that yield Absorbtion much like regular Armor does, and since they are much
more lightweight they don't incur as much of an Evasion Rate as normal
armor. However, Rings are considered to be regular Armor (Body-type), so
you can't overlap a Ring and that precious Steel Armor you've been eyeing in
the Armorsmith's window. Sorry, JASN.
So each piece of armor has an Absorb number, which reflects how much damage
your armor absorbs for you. What of evasion, then? That's the problem with
equipping armor, sadly - by doing so, your evasion rate will drop by a certain
amount. While the drop is usually neglegible, certain pieces of armor drop
your evasion quite a bit, and are almost not worth the effort.
ALMOST. That's the key word. For characters like the Fighter (whom have
average agility), you'll want as much absorb as you can get. If you bother to
figure the math (which you can by reading the 344 KB "Final Fantasy ..." guide
on GameFAQs.com), you'll find that the difference in evasion rates between
someone with lighter armor (less absorb) and heavier armor (more absorb) isn't
much to speak of. Therefore, you might as well go for the bigger armor,
despite the drop in evasiveness.
================================ Final Fantasy ================================
------------------------III: Armor Chart------------------------
================================ Final Fantasy ================================
For simplification purposes, here's a chart with each piece of armors' basic
stats and who can use 'em. You might not get as much information about the
armor, but 90% of the time you'll probably just be looking for a quick bit of
reference on an item. Thus, the chart has its use.
Reading the chart is simple as pie (Mmm, pie). Along the left are the various
pieces of armor grouped into the 4 categories: Armor (Body), Helms, Shields,
and Gauntlets. The top portion of the chart lists the character classes
(abbreviated), and form columns that cross each of the armors' rows. If that
character class can equip that piece of armor, then there will be an X in the
space where the two meet; if not, then there will be a period. At the far
right of the chart is that particular piece of armors' absorbtion rate and
evasion rate. Handy, yes?
The pieces of armor are not sorted alphabetically, as they were in the above
sections; instead, they are listed in ascending order by their Absorb rate.
Thus, "Wooden" may come after "Chain" in the dictionary, but you will see
Wooden Armor (absorb = 4) come before Chain Armor (absorb 15) in my chart. I
makes da chart, so I makes da rules, ya dig?
Shorthand:
Fighter = Fi Knight = Kn
Black Belt = BB Master = Ma
Thief = Th Ninja = Ni
Red Mage = RM Red Wizard = RW
White Mage = WM White Wizard = WW
Black Mage = BM Black Wizard = BW
_______________________________________________________________________________
| Class |Fi |BB |Th |RM |WM |BM |Kn |Ma |Ni |RW |WW |BW | Absorb|Evade %|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| -=Armor=- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|Cloth | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 1 | -2 |
|Copper Brace.| X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 4 | -1 |
|Wooden Armor | X | X | X | X | . | . | X | X | X | X | . | . | 4 | -8 |
|Silver Brace.| X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 15 | -1 |
|Chain Armor | X | . | . | X | . | . | X | . | X | X | . | . | 15 | -15 |
|Silver Armor | X | . | . | X | . | . | X | . | X | X | . | . | 18 | -8 |
|Gold Brace. | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 24 | -1 |
|Black Shirt | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | X | 24 | -2 |
|White Shirt | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | X | . | 24 | -2 |
|Iron Armor | X | . | . | . | . | . | X | . | X | . | . | . | 24 | -23 |
|Opal Brace. | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 34 | -1 |
|Flame Armor | X | . | . | . | . | . | X | . | X | . | . | . | 34 | -10 |
|Ice Armor | X | . | . | . | . | . | X | . | X | . | . | . | 34 | -10 |
|Steel Armor | X | . | . | . | . | . | X | . | . | . | . | . | 34 | -33 |
|Dragon Armor | . | . | . | . | . | . | X | . | . | . | . | . | 42 | -10 |
|Opal Armor | . | . | . | . | . | . | X | . | . | . | . | . | 42 | -10 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| -=Shields=- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|Buckler | X | . | X | X | . | . | X | . | X | X | . | . | 2 | 0 |
|Wooden Shield| X | . | . | . | . | . | X | . | X | . | . | . | 2 | 0 |
|Iron Shield | X | . | . | . | . | . | X | . | X | . | . | . | 4 | 0 |
|ProCape * | X | . | X | X | X | X | X | . | X | X | X | X | 8 | -2 |
|Silver Shield| X | . | . | . | . | . | X | . | X | . | . | . | 8 | 0 |
|Flame Shield | X | . | . | . | . | . | X | . | X | . | . | . | 12 | 0 |
|Ice Shield | X | . | . | . | . | . | X | . | X | . | . | . | 12 | 0 |
|Aegis Shield | . | . | . | . | . | . | X | . | . | . | . | . | 16 | 0 |
|Opal Shield | . | . | . | . | . | . | X | . | . | . | . | . | 16 | 0 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| -=Helms=- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|Ribbon | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 1 | -1 |
|Cap | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 1 | -2 |
|Wooden Helmet| X | . | . | . | . | . | X | . | X | . | . | . | 3 | -3 |
|Iron Helmet | X | . | . | . | . | . | X | . | X | . | . | . | 5 | -5 |
|Silver Helmet| X | . | . | . | . | . | X | . | X | . | . | . | 6 | -3 |
|Heal Helmet | . | . | . | . | . | . | X | . | X | . | . | . | 6 | -3 |
|Opal Helmet | . | . | . | . | . | . | X | . | . | . | . | . | 8 | -3 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|-=Gauntlets=-| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|Gloves | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 1 | -1 |
|Copper Gaunt.| X | . | . | . | . | . | X | . | X | . | . | . | 2 | -3 |
|Iron Gaunt. | X | . | . | . | . | . | X | . | X | . | . | . | 4 | -5 |
|Silver Gaunt.| X | . | . | . | . | . | X | . | X | X | . | . | 6 | -3 |
|Power Gaunt. | . | . | . | . | . | . | X | . | X | X | . | . | 6 | -3 |
|Zeus Gaunt. | . | . | . | . | . | . | X | . | X | X | . | . | 6 | -3 |
|ProRing * | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 8 | -1 |
|Opal Gaunt. | . | . | . | . | . | . | X | . | . | . | . | . | 8 | -3 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
* See the "helm" and "shield" sections, respectively, for the reasons behind
the ProRing and ProCape's placings.
================================ Final Fantasy ================================
------------------------IV: Armor (Body) ------------------------
================================ Final Fantasy ================================
Providing the highest amount of Absorb (and, quite often, the biggest drop in
Evasion), Body-Type Armor is what you'll want to make sure everyone has
equipped (not counting Black Belts, that is). Sure, they can be costly or
hard-to-find, but they are (almost) always worth the effort. Here's the order
you'll find 'em in:
A) Black Shirt E) Flame Armor I) Silver Armor
B) Chain Armor F) Ice Armor J) Steel Armor
C) Cloth G) Iron Armor K) White Shirt
D) Dragon Armor H) Opal Armor L) Wooden Armor
________________
_~A~ Black Shirt______________________________________________________________
================
Mages are known for casting spells; that's what they do, and they do that well.
Part of their arcane casting ability comes from the movements of their hands
and arms, somehow creating the specific sequence of motions and events that
bring about the spell they are casting. Now, the problem with such movements
is that it becomes more difficult to perform such flusters and waves when the
mage is wearing armor. The encumberance makes basic movements more trying, and
intricate patterns can be lost because the mage was fighting the weight of the
armor. Oddly enough, mages don't encounter the same problems while wearing
gloves...but that's not the point. The point is armor!
As a consequence, most representations of mages are those of physically weak
characters that cannot equip the stronger/heavier suits of steel, for fear that
it would remove their magical abilities. Thus, the Black Shirt is a welcome
addition, providing the wizard with an enchanted piece of armor that gives a
good amount of absorb, very low evade loss, and can even be used in attacking.
Absorb Rate: 24
Evasion %: -2
Cost: N/A (Sell Price: 1 Gil)
Purchase Locations: N/A
Find Location: Floating Castle (2nd Floor, Bottom-Left room)
Who Can Equip It: Black Wizard
Special Properties: ~When used as an item (in battle), the Black Shirt casts
ICE2 on all enemies being fought. It can be used an
infinite number of times, so even if you do not have a
Black Wizard to equip it on, it is a handy item to keep
ahold of. C'mon, an infinite number of ICE2 spells?
Yeah, that's handy.
________________
___~B~ Chain Armor____________________________________________________________
================
Often referred to as "Chainmail", Chain Armor was an interweaving of strands of
chain, creating a metallic mesh that protected the chest, torso, arms, legs,
and even the head. Chainmail was created so that the wearer could have the
benefits of a protective metal, without having to wear a cumbersome, heavier,
less-maneuverable plate of metal. However, Chainmail simply couldn't provide
as great an amount of protection as, say, Platemail, so it was often left for
scouts and people whom required more mobility than out-and-out defense.
Absorb Rate: 15
Evasion %: -15
Cost: 80 Gil (Sell Price: 40 Gil)
Purchase Locations: Coneria
Find Locations: N/A
Who Can Equip It: Fighter, Red Mage
Knight, Ninja, Red Wizard
Special Properties: N/A
__________
_____~C~ Cloth________________________________________________________________
==========
Comprised of layers of clothes, "Cloth" armor provides the lowest amount of
Absorb out of all the pieces of Body-Armor in the game. You could probably
compare the Cloth armor to medieval-style Padded armor, which was the layering
of clothes (and sometimes blankets) to provide a thicker bit of armor than
standard clothing. However, this armor soon became itchy and hot, so often a
knight would favor something different (such as a breastplace, chainmail, etc).
It was an easy "suit" of armor to put together, but ultimately was ruled out
because it provided so little protection from the blade of another.
Absorb Rate: 1
Evasion %: -2
Cost: 10 Gil (Sell Price: 5 Gil)
Purchase Locations: Coneria
Find Locations: Ice Cave (2nd Basement, near the Flame Sword and Floater)
Floating Castle (3rd Floor)
Who Can Equip It: Everyone
Special Properties: N/A
_________________
_______~D~ Dragon Armor_______________________________________________________
=================
Dragons are immense, powerful creatures of yore, often regailed in legends both
Chinese and English. Dragons were notorious for having tough skin, made of
thick scales, that made their bodies near-impervious to conventional weapons.
One would have to have incredible strength, a fantastical weapon, or simply
know of a particular weakness in a dragon to even attempt such a fight.
Therefore, having armor that is made of a Dragon's scales speaks volumes of the
owner. High protection, reasonably low evasion loss (it IS, after all, Scale
Mail), and even some magical resistances, this is the best armor in the game.
Absorb Rate: 42
Evasion %: -10
Cost: N/A (Sell Price: 30,000 Gil)
Purchase Locations: N/A
Find Locations: Mirage Tower (2nd Floor)
Who Can Equip It: Knight
Special Properties: ~Reduced damage from fire, ice, and lightning enemies and
attacks
~Reduced damage from Dragons and Dragon-like Attacks
________________
_________~E~ Flame Armor______________________________________________________
================
Mystical armor enchanted with the power of Fire, the Flame Armor is a handy
suit when your characters encounter foes of the Icy regime. Donning this fiery
carapace, your character will have the same defense as they would while
equipped with Steel Armor (yay!); the difference between Steel and Flame (and
Ice) is that, due to its magical properties, the Flame Armor weighs less than
the Steel Armor (so there is a lesser Evasion Drop), and cold enemies have a
harder time doing damage to you. This is the armor you want to have equipped
when you take on the Ice Cavern, as its frozen denizens will be less able to
damage your fighter.
Absorb Rate: 34
Evasion %: -10
Cost: N/A (Sell Price: 15,000 Gil)
Purchase Locations: N/A
Find Locations: Gurgu Volcano (Basement 5, far Left Room)
Who Can Equip It: Fighter
Knight, Ninja
Special Properties: ~Reduced damage from ice attacks and enemies
______________
___________~F~ Ice Armor______________________________________________________
==============
As with the Flame Armor, this is armor magically enchanted to give protection
where there normally would not be. Logically deduced from the name, your
protection is that of Ice, sparing you from the searing flames of hot-headed
opponents. Also like the Flame Armor, this suit provides the same defense as
Steel Armor without the great Evasion loss. Of course, this begs the question
of...if the armor is enchanted with Ice to protect you from fire, then wouldn't
Ice Enemies have an easier time affecting you? I mean, your armor is their
very element, so couldn't they feasibly just...pass through unhindered and
strike at your (now unarmored) body? Feh.
Absorb Rate: 34
Evasion %: -10
Cost: N/A (Sell Price: 15,000 Gil)
Purchase Locations: N/A
Find Locations: Ice Cavern (Floor 3B)
Who Can Equip It: Fighter
Knight, Ninja
Special Properties: ~Reduced damage from fire attacks and enemies
_______________
_____________~G~ Iron Armor___________________________________________________
===============
Iron is a very tough metal, very resilient in its unwillingness to bend. Due
to its makeup, however, it's not the kind of metal you would want to use in the
creation of buildings - its lack of flexibility would make the buildings weaker
and weaker, ultimately resulting in their becoming brittle and requiring
extensive repairs. It IS a strong metal, but in that instance you would want
something more flexable (such as Steel). When it comes to armor, though, Iron
is the perfect substance, since you don't exactly want a softer, more flexable
metal protecting you from whatever your opponent is hurling at you. Thus, Iron
Armor is a good suit for your lower-level fighters, until they can find (or
afford) better protection. Granted, it's a tad heavy, but the protection
certainly gets the job done.
Absorb Rate: 24
Evasion %: -23
Cost: 800 Gil (Sell Price: 400 Gil)
Purchase Locations: Provoka
Elfland
Find Locations: Marsh Cave (Basement 3)
Coneria Castle (Locked Room)
Who Can Equip It: Fighter
Knight, Ninja
Special Properties: N/A
_______________
_______________~H~ Opal Armor_________________________________________________
===============
Opals are fairly rare gemstones, strong in tensility yet rather uncommon in
finding. Due to their precious worth and strength, finding someone with Opal
Armor is a sign of a well-travelled (or very rich) adventurer, or an eccentric
with too much time on their hands. Opal has been sometimes said to carry
magical properties that gave it more worth than rarer gems, as demonstrated by
the Opal Armor's increased resistance to Lightning. However, if you were to
remove such magical attributes, you would have a suit of armor that was created
out of a harder-than-normal stone, nothing more.
Absorb Rate: 42
Evasion %: -10
Cost: N/A (Sell Price: 30,000 Gil)
Purchase Locations: N/A
Find Location: Sea Shrine (Floor 4A, amongst the Mermaids)
Who Can Equip It: Knight
Special Properties: Reduced damage from lightning attacks and enemies
_________________
_________________~I~ Silver Armor_____________________________________________
=================
Silver is a metal that is considered more valuable than it is strong; that is
to say, it is a metal that one would use as currency more often than you would
use it as a metal for building or protection. It's not the strongest of stuff
(not ALL metal is going to be good protection...can you imagine Aluminum
Armor?), so you'd best upgrade to better acoutriments ASAP. At least it's
better than Wooden and Chain Armor. I suggest you find a suit of Silver Armor
and give it to your Red Mage, since it's the best armor he'll be able to equip
(until he becomes a Red Wizard, that is).
Absorb Rate: 18
Evasion %: -8
Cost: 7,500 Gil (Sell Price: 3,750 Gil)
Purchase Locations: Crescent Lake
Find Locations: Dwarven Cave (Large Locked Room)
Who Can Equip It: Fighter, Red Mage
Knight, Ninja, Red Wizard
Special Properties: N/A
________________
___________________~J~ Steel Armor____________________________________________
================
Interesting quandry - Steel is a strong metal that is used to build tall
skyscrapers. Therefore, one could logically reason that Steel is a powerful
metal well suited (sic) to make armor out of. This is a fallacy, I'm afraid,
for while Steel IS a strong alloy, its primary usage in buildings is to be a
metal with some flexibility in it. At greater heights, buildings encounter
more wind sheer pressing buffering its sides; to counteract this and allow the
building more stability, Steel is used because of how much it can give in to
the wind. Stronger, less flexible metals (like Iron) tend to break more often
in these circumstances.
This brings us back to the idea of making Steel into armor. We know that it
isn't as strong as other metals...so why would you make it one of BETTER pieces
of armor in the game? Whatever the cause, this is a heavy pice of armor that
gives a ton of absorb, yet (due to its weight) is also drops your evasion the
most of any armor. Not that your fighter should be worrying about Evasion,
but...you know, whatever.
Absorb Rate: 34
Evasion %: -33
Cost: 45,000 Gil (Sell Price: 22,500 Gil)
Purchase Locations: Melmond
Find Locations: N/A
Who Can Equip It: Fighter
Knight
Special Properties: Is very heavy. That's about it.
________________
_____________________~K~ White Shirt__________________________________________
================
White Wizards usually find themselves in bad spots. Their primary role in the
group is that of the healer, with minimal defensive or offensive capabilities
themselves. They use magic to restore life and protect others from harm, as
well as destroying the undead and (at very high levels) doing moderate amounts
of damage to everything else. However, they are fodder for physical attacks,
lacking a substantial amount of hit points, the ability to wear heavy armor, or
even a higher evade rate. Thus, the White Shirt is a VERY handy item - not
only does it give that White Wizard the protection they desperately need, but
it can also grant everyone a little more protection when used as an item!
Absorb Rate: 24
Evasion %: -2
Cost: N/A (Sell Price: 1 Gil)
Purchase Locations: N/A
Find Locations: Floating Castle (2nd Floor, Bottom-Left room)
Who Can Equip It: White Wizard
Special Properties: ~When used as an item (in battle), the White Shirt casts
INV2 on all party members. It can be used an infinite
number of times, so even if you take a party without a
White Mage you'll be able to have INV2 whenever you want.
Ain't it nice, giving yourself that much more protection?
_________________
_______________________~L~ Wooden Armor_______________________________________
=================
A slight step-up in favor of protection, the Wooden Armor was an armor that few
knights would bother trifling with. It offered little protection against
swords and heavier weapons, often smashed on impact with a variety of tools.
It was night impossible to mend, difficult to create, and could even rend its
wearer with splinters (yikes!). Wooden Armor is best suited as Ornamental,
nothing more. Just like in real life, I suggest you skip past the Wooden Armor
and go for something a little better (i.e., Chain Armor).
Absorb Rate: 4
Evasion %: -8
Cost: 50 Gil (Sell Price: 25 Gil)
Purchase Locations: Coneria
Find Locations: N/A
Who Can Equip It: Fighter, Black Belt, Thief, Red Mage
Knight, Master, Ninja, Red Wizard
Special Properties: N/A
================================ Final Fantasy ================================
------------------------V: Shields------------------------
================================ Final Fantasy ================================
Shields were an extension of the users' armor, more directable for protection
without requiring much effort. They were usually made of either wood or metal,
and attached to the forearm of the user so that they could use one hand to
attack, the other ready to bring the shield up for defensive purposes. Shields
come in a variety of sizes for greater mobility while in battle, ranging from
smaller bucklers (for easier melee parrying) to vast tower shields (for
protection from just about anything in front of you).
In Final Fantasy, shields do not drop your evasion rating, for whatever reason
THAT is. My guess is that, since they aren't permanently attached to your arm,
you can drop them at any time and thus provide yourself with that lost evasion.
Whatever the reason, shields - as rare as they are - are extremely valuable
items, giving you added defense without losing any evasive abilities. Here are
the shields, ordered alphabetically for easier searching.
A) Aegis Shield D) Ice Shield G) ProCape
B) Buckler E) Iron Shield H) Silver Shield
C) Flame Shield F) Opal Shield I) Wooden Shield
_________________
_~A~ Aegis Shield_____________________________________________________________
=================
The Aegis Shield actually comes from Greek Mythology. Perseus, a hero on a
quest to save his girlfriend, faced off against several mythological beasts and
opponents; such creatures as the Kraken, Medusa, and...well, heck, everything
fell to the mighty hero! To best the Medusa, Perseus had to be careful not to
make eye contact with the demoness, which would have instantly turned him to
stone. He was given an enchanted shield by Hera to avoid such a fate - it was
the shield of Aegis, enchanted to ward away medusa's stone-turning glance.
Using the shield's polished surface as a mirror, he was able to locate and
dispatch Medusa without falling pray to her glance.
The Aegis Shield is a powerful shield that gives the best defense out of any
shield in the game (tied with the Opal in terms of how much Absorb is
provided), and a little magical to boot. If the person equipped with the Aegis
Shield is assaulted by instant-death spells (such a Glance, Rub, Zap!,
etcetera), the spell with be nullified by the power of the shield. It's handy
for those enemies in the game that use magic that kills (like Fighters,
Sorcerers, Medusas, etc). Unfortunately, the only person whom can use it is
the Knight.
Absorb Rate: 16
Evasion %: 0
Cost: N/A (Sell Price: 20,000 Gil)
Purchase Locations: N/A
Find Locations: Mirage Tower (1st Floor)
Who Can Equip It: Knight
Special Properties: ~Special Protection against petrification attacks -
Glance, Squint, etc.
____________
___~B~ Buckler________________________________________________________________
============
In an effort to create a shield that was useful in battle without having a
cumbersome weight impeding you, the Buckler was created as a substitute shield.
It was a smaller disk, often only 33 inches in diameter, that affixed itself to
the users' off-hand wrist. This allowed your everyone from your scouts and
footsoldiers to archers (whom require both hands) to have added protection at
all times. The greatest problem with the buckler, however, was its small size,
meaning parries had to be more precise in order for the shield to perform its
duty; moreso, its smaller radius made it extremely impractical to defend
against ranged attacks such as arrows.
In this game, the Buckler is a shield that can be used by more than just the
Fighter, Knight, and Ninja (the most proficient armor users in the game),
giving it practicality over the Wooden Shield. However, the buckler is not
readily available to your party members, and thus it loses some usefulness in
the long run. Still, when you arrive at the Crescent Lake and want to
(finally) equip your Thief and Red Mage with a Shield (the 4th armor slot they
never get to use), it's a welcome addition.
Absorb Rate: 2
Evasion % Loss: 0
Cost: 2,500 Gil (Sell Price: 1,250 Gil)
Purchase Locations: Crescent Lake
Find Locations: N/A
Who Can Equip It: Fighter, Thief, Red Mage
Knight, Ninja, Red Wizard
Special Properties: N/A
_________________
_____~C~ Flame Shield_________________________________________________________
=================
A shield enchanted with the magic of fire, giving protection against the cold
without a loss of evasion. The Flame Shield, as far as I know, gives the same
amount of protection against Ice that the Armor does; the difference (aside
from armor types and locations) is the absorb rate. Uh...yeah. I don't really
have anything else to say, really. The Flame Shield is the best shield that
the Fighter can equip, giving him a useful advantage versus the enemies of the
Ice Cave. Also, it is the best shield (along with the Ice Shield) that the
Ninja can equip. Rock on, my crazy Ninja friends!
Absorb Rate: 12
Evasion %: 0
Cost: N/A (Sell Price: 5,000 Gil)
Purchase Locations: N/A
Find Locations: Gurgu Volcano (Basement 4B, Upper-Left Room)
Who Can Equip It: Fighter
Knight, Ninja
Special Properties: ~Reduced damage from ice attacks and enemies
_______________
_______~D~ Ice Shield_________________________________________________________
===============
Just like the Flame Shield, the Ice Shield is a must for fighters whom want
good defense against a certain element. Heck, it's the best shield (along with
the Flame Shield) that the Fighter and Ninja can equip, so it's DEFINITELY
something you want to pick up. Unfortunately, it's a little more difficult to
come across than the Flame Shield...it's located in the Ice Cave, which has
monsters stronger than those in the Gurgu Volcano. It figures; the area where
you need protection from fire comes before the location where you GET the Ice
Shield, and if you want protection from the Ice enemies then you have to go
through the fire location (where the Ice Shield is extremely helpful). Ain't
life funny like that?
Absorb Rate: 12
Evasion %: 0
Cost: N/A (Sell Price: 5,000 Gil)
Purchase Locations: N/A
Find Locations: Ice Cavern (1st floor, 2nd section)
Who Can Equip It: Fighter
Knight, Ninja
Special Properties: ~Reduced damage from flame attacks and enemies
________________
_________~E~ Iron Shield______________________________________________________
================
Iron, as outlined in the Armor (Body-Type) section, is a stronger metal than
the likes of Steel, and is therefore an ideal ingredient from which to make a
shield. Your traditional Iron Shields were fashioned in the same size and
style of Wooden Shields; due to their increased strength and resilience, you
were likely to see family crests or royal insignias imprinted upon them. These
were to let armies know that not only did they have the proper funding to have
metallic shielding, but they belonged to a specific family or country and
served their purposes. To put such a picture on a wooden shield was looked
down upon due to the wood's tendency to quickly break or be carved up - one
wouldn't want the insignia of their king being desecrated in battle, now would
they?
Iron Shields are good protection for your Fighters, especially considering the
fact that you won't find anything better in the game for quite a while. When
you hit Elfland, you might as well give your Fighter the extra 2 Absorb they
gain from this (upgrading from a Wooden Shield, that is), since they won't be
able to find one until the Earth Cave or Gurgu Volcano, and purchasing one
won't become an option until they reach the Crescent Lake.
Absorb Rate: 4
Evasion %: 0
Cost: 100 Gil (Sell Price: 50 Gil)
Purchase Locations: Elfland
Find Locations: Coneria Castle (Locked Room)
Who Can Equip It: Fighter
Knight, Ninja
Special Properties: N/A
________________
___________~F~ Opal Shield____________________________________________________
================
Opals are gemstones that have been said to carry magical powers (albeit weak).
Opals are often used as the stones placed in rings or necklaces to provide
minute magical power, giving the wearer a slight benefit. An Opal Shield,
logically, would provide some sort of increased magical defense along with its
harder-than-average tensility. That is exactly what this shield provides - it
gives the highest amount of Absorb protection in the game (tied with the Aegis,
that is), and even provides protection against Lightning damage. However, so
does the armor, so your Knight (whom is the only character that can equip this
shield) would be better off equipping the Aegis Shield for protection against
other magic. Heck, the Dragon Armor gives protection to all Fire, Ice, and
Lightning, so you can equip that and have the Aegis Shield for even more
magical defense. Screw you, Opal equipment!
Absorb Rate: 16
Evasion %: 0
Cost: N/A (Sell Price: 7,500 Gil)
Purchase Locations: N/A
Find Locations: Sea Shrine (Floor 5, amongst the Mermaids)
Floating Castle (Floor 2)
Who Can Equip It: Knight
Special Properties: ~Reduced damage from lighting attacks and enemies
____________
_____________~G~ ProCape______________________________________________________
============
Capes being used as shields were rare in olden times, but not unheard of. A
warrior who wished to have a fashionable piece of attire that remained
functional in battle might take up a cape, allowing them the ability to ward
enemy strikes with the folds of cloth rather than the hardness of a shield.
The cape could be flung outward in an attempt to throw off the weapon's
accuracy, wrapping around it and generally making the attackers' accuracy fail.
This is the same style of cloth-usage that people engauging in a knifefight
might prefer, substituting a shirt held in 1 hand for an entire cape.
The Protective Cape (ProCape) gives shield protection for characters that
cannot otherwise use shields. It's a welcome addition to your characters'
defense, giving the Black and White Mages shields (as well as giving your Thief
and Red Mage BETTER shields). Granted, there is a little evasion loss, but
it's nothing major. Also, there are only 2 in the game, so make sure you get
both of 'em for characters that need them!
Absorb Rate: 8
Evasion %: -2
Cost: N/A (Sell Price: 10,000 Gil)
Purchase Locations: N/A
Find Locations: Floating Castle (3rd Floor, right-hand side)
Temple in the Past (Basement 2, Kary's Level)
Who Can Equip It: Fighter, Thief, Red Mage, White Mage, Black Mage
Knight, Ninja, Red Wizard, White Wizard, Black Wizard
Special Properties: N/A
__________________
_______________~H~ Silver Shield______________________________________________
==================
Silver is a metal that one would not really consider to be a forerunner for the
"Armor" section. It is a precious metal, not quite as rare or valuable as gold
but stronger and less flexable. Its rarity makes one wonder about the
applications of such a metal into armor, but whatever the cause...here it is,
Silver Armor! It's better than Iron Armor (I don't know why, since Iron is a
stronger metal...heck, so is Steel!), so as soon as you find one give it to
your Fighter. No one else can use 'em except for advanced classes (Knight and
Ninja), and by the time you have those classes you SHOULD have come across
better shields. Thus, this items' usefulness isn't too high.
Absorb Rate: 8
Evasion %: 0
Cost: 2,500 Gil (Sell Price: 1,250 Gil)
Purchase Locations: Crescent Lake
Find Locations: Earth Cave (Floor 4)
Gurgu Volcano (Floor 2)
Who Can Equip It: Fighter
Knight, Ninja
Special Properties: N/A
__________________
_________________~I~ Wooden Shield____________________________________________
==================
Your standard shield, made of wood and easily made. Unlike Wooden Armor, which
would be extremely difficult to make and upkeep (it would have to be fashioned
specifically for the user, and reparations would be quite difficult), Wooden
Shields could be produced en masse and simply replaced should the need arise.
Cheap and easily made, these were the staple a King's Army that couldn't afford
to equip all of its soldiers with the best of the best. However, Wooden
Shields simply couldn't provide THAT much protection against an opponents'
sword/mace/lance/arrows/etc., so it was not the style of choice for those who
went into battle. Hey, if it's the best you have, then you might as well use
it...but upgrade to something better (i.e., Iron or Silver shields) as soon as
possible!
Absorb Rate: 4
Evasion %: 0
Cost: 15 Gil (Sell Price: 7 Gil)
Purchase Locations: Pravoka
Find Locations: Earth Cave (Floor 2)
Who Can Equip It: Fighter
Knight, Ninja
Special Properties: N/A
================================ Final Fantasy ================================
------------------------VI: Helms------------------------
================================ Final Fantasy ================================
Helmets were created with 1 goal in mind - to give as much protection to the
head of the user without impeding their ability to see, hear, or speak.
Helmets are probably the one piece of armoring that has evolved the most over
the years, changing styles and components to provide different protection in
different areas - added protection of the nose, eyes, or general face area
might have been added, or perhaps a different building material would be used
in the construction. While the Final Fantasy style of helmet doesn't go into
such detail on the helmets, it does have its fair share of styles and makes.
A) Cap D) Opal Helmet G) Wooden Helmet
B) Heal Helmet E) Ribbon
C) Iron Helmet F) Silver Helmet
________
_~A~ Cap______________________________________________________________________
========
A cap was a lightweight piece of leather strapped to the head, giving a
(slight) increase in protection without having a bulky, heavy piece of metal to
wear. While rather basic, some caps could be made of harder, more tanned
pieces of leather, giving a decent amount of protection for the weight (or lack
thereof) they accompanied. Caps were most often seen on Archers, Squires,
Scouts, and Monks - generally those who couldn't wear heavier armor, whether
for mobility or religious purposes.
Absorb Rate: 1
Evasion %: -1
Cost: 80 Gil (Sell Price: 40 Gil)
Purchase Locations: Pravoka
Find Locations: Temple of Fiends (Bottom Left Room)
Who Can Equip It: Everyone (base classes)
Everyone (prestige classes)
Special Properties: N/A
________________
___~B~ Heal Helmet____________________________________________________________
================
The Heal Helmet isn't the best helmet in the game - in fact, it's tied with the
Silver Helmet for 2nd place in terms of Absorb (and, coincedentally, Evasion
percentage as well). However, there is something that definitely makes the
Heal Helmet better than the Silver Helmet: when you use the Heal Helmet in
battle, it casts HEAL on all your party members. That's right, you have an
infinite supply of the HEAL at your command, ready to revive your party (albeit
slowly) in battle...and since there are 2 in the game, you can have knock your
enemies' ranks down to 1 and restore your party to their max in no time
(unless, of course, the enemy left remaining is one too powerful to simply
leave unattended). Despite the fact that only 2 characters can equip a Heal
Helmet - the Knight and Ninja - they are very valuable items that I would
highly suggest acquiring and keeping.
Absorb Rate: 6
Evasion %: -3
Cost: N/A (Sell Price: 10,000 Gil)
Purchase Locations: N/A
Find Locations: Mirage Tower (1st Floor, Center Room)
Floating Castle (1st Floor, Right Side)
Who Can Equip It: Knight, Ninja
Special Properties: ~Cast the spell HEAL when used in battle as an item. You
have an infinite supply of such a spell through the use
of the Heal Helmet, so restoring your party without
having to waste precious spells or potions is a definite
plus.
________________
_____~C~ Iron Helmet__________________________________________________________
================
Iron is a very suitable metal to make a helmet with. It's strong, not easily
bended or broken, and can easily be worked into a variety of styles of helm for
your protection. Even a thinner Iron Helmet could provide more defense than a
wooden helmet, making it ideal for covering the heads of many a soldier. Since
you can pick one up for your Fighter at the Dwarven Cave, I highly suggest you
book it over there as soon as you get the Mystic Key and pick it up. It'll be
a while before you Fighter will be able to upgrade to a Silver Helmet (the best
that he can wear, which is found in the Titan's Cave and the Earth Cave), so
use what you can when you can get it!
Absorb Rate: 5
Evasion %: -5
Cost: 450 Gil (Sell Price: 225 Gil)
Purchase Locations: Melmond
Find Locations: Dwarven Cave (Locked Room)
Who Can Equip It: Fighter
Knight, Ninja
Special Properties: N/A
________________
_______~D~ Opal Helmet________________________________________________________
================
Back to Opal, eh? One can only wonder how these blasted things are made...I
mean, first you have to find an abundance of Opal, enough to make the armor out
of. Then...what do you do with it? Do you melt it down and fashion the armor
out of it directly, or do you simply plate another piece of armor with the
chunks of Opal? Or maybe it's regular armor that has been empowered with a
single Opal (or maybe a few), affixed to the armor and supplying it magical
power. I mean, I could easily imagine a helmet being made, then having a few
Opals set into the crown of it...but an entire helmet? That's a little
ridiculous, isn't it?
The Opal Helmet is the best helmet in the game (unless you want to argue that
"best" should include a helmet's other abilities, such as the Heal Helmet's
ability to cast HEAL). It has the highest Absorb rate of any helmet in the
game; the problem with it is, the only character that can use it is the Knight!
Oh well...give your walking tank a new helm, I'm sure he'll like it.
Absorb Rate: 8
Evasion %: -3
Cost: N/A (Sell Price: 5,000 Gil)
Purchase Locations: N/A
Find Locations: Sea Shrine (Floor 5, Amongst the mermaids)
Who Can Equip It: Knight
Special Properties: N/A
___________
_________~E~ Ribbon___________________________________________________________
===========
Here's a strange little item, the likes of which I still don't really
understand. Alls I know is this - the Ribbon has always been one of the
handiest items to find in any Final Fantasy game, and this one is no exception.
The Ribbon is a "helmet"...I guess...in the sense that you equip it on your
head. I always envisioned the user tying a pretty red bow in their hair, which
made them look more fashionable (and adding a little more color to their
monster-slaying attire).
Anywho, the Ribbon - for what little physical protection it yields - has
incredible magical defense, protecting the user from any status ailments and
helping reduce the damage from all magical damage. That's right, your
character can no longer be poisoned, stoned, etcetera, and will take less
damage from those harmful enemy spells that could rend your character
otherwise. The beauty of these things is that anyone in the game can equip
them, so you can have 3 party members equally immune to such attacks. The 4th
character can fend for himself in terms of helmets, and since this usually ends
up being the fighter, he won't have any problems finding one of his own (the
Opal Helmet or a Heal Helmet will work nicely).
Absorb Rate: 1
Evasion %: -1
Cost: N/A (Sell Price: 1 Gil)
Purchase Locations: N/A
Find Locations: Waterfall (Robot's Room)
Sea Shrine (Floor 2B)
Floating Castle (Floor 2)
Who Can Equip It: Everyone (base classes)
Everyone (prestige classes)
Special Properties: ~Protection against all status effects.
__________________
___________~F~ Silver Helmet__________________________________________________
==================
Yet another silver item! Ah, the game just doesn't let up, does it? I mean,
granted, Silver is supposed to have magical properties against certain kinds of
opponents - vampires, the undead, and were-monsters all share a weakness to the
metal - but it just seems a little unfeasible to make entire suits of armor and
weapons out of the stuff. That's just my opinion, frankly. You can take it at
face value (I know I sure do!).
The Silver Helmet is the best possible helmet that the Fighter can equip, and
(as a plus) it has a lesser evasion reduction than the Iron Helmet. However,
it does take a while for you to find one. You have to work your way through
the 2nd level of the Earth Cave to find one, and there are 2 more there - as
well as one in the Titan's Cave - so you could equip a full party of 4 fighters
before ever reaching Crescent Lake (the location where you buy them). Sure,
you can sail straight to the lakeside town and purchase one, but why spend
those hard-earned Gil when you can fight your way to a few?
Absorb Rate: 6
Evasion %: -3
Cost: 2,500 Gil (Sell Price: 1,250 Gil)
Purchase Locations: Crescent Lake
Find Locations: Titan's Tunnel (Single Room)
Gurgu Volcano (Floor 2, 3 different chests)
Floating Castle (Floor 2)
Who Can Equip It: Fighter
Knight, Ninja
Special Properties: N/A
__________________
_____________~G~ Wooden Helmet________________________________________________
==================
Once again, it's a wooden helmet. I guess I can understand how you could make
a helmet, armor, and various other pieces of armor out of wood. You could take
pieces of wood and fasten them together with bits of leather, giving you
lightweight wooden attire that has some movement to it. Granted, this is what
the traditional Samurai armor was made of, for they wanted to have armor light
enough to quickly get around in while still providing protection. A helmet
could be made the same way, although I still imagine a single piece of wood
being carved into a helmet-shape (which would be terribly ridiculous). Oh
well...as per the wooden armor and shield, the Wooden Helmet is rather weak in
the defensive department, which is why it's good that it is so cheap. Buy one
for your Fighter and get rid of that musty ol' cap!
Absorb Rate: 3
Evasion %: -3
Cost: 100 Gil (Sell Price: 50 Gil)
Purchase Locations: Elfland
Find Locations: Dwarven Cave (Large Locked Room)
Who Can Equip It: Fighter
Knight, Ninja
Special Properties: N/A
================================ Final Fantasy ================================
------------------------VII: Gauntlets------------------------
================================ Final Fantasy ================================
Everyone values their hands. They are what we use in our day-to-day lives to
do everything except basic bodily functions, walk, and talk. Therefore, you
want to protect your hands from danger. A damaged hand cannot attack or
defend, and the shock of losing such a limb is an extreme loss for those
unfortunate enough to experience it. Therefore, protection of these
extremities is a must for most characters, even if it is something as low-class
as a pair of gloves. In Final Fantasy, Gauntlets may not provide that much
physical protection, but they often benefit the user by giving added bonuses
via magical abilities. Suits of armor would often come with an attached set of
greaves, but in the world of Final Fantasy you much provide your own. Thus,
here they are, placed in the order in which they appeared.
A) Copper Gauntlet D) Opal Gauntlet G) Silver Gauntlet
B) Gloves E) Power Gauntlet H) Zeus Gauntlet
C) Iron Gauntlet F) ProRing
____________________
_~A~ Copper Gauntlet__________________________________________________________
====================
A nice, simple pair of metallic gloves made of copper, these gauntlets are the
first step-up past gloves for a Fighter. Handy protection is difficult to come
across, so as soon as you find a pair of these - namely, after getting the
Mystic Key and travelling to the Elf Castle in Elfland - give them to your
Fighter and allow him that much more defense. He'll thank you for it, I'm
sure.
Absorb Rate: 2
Evasion %: -3
Cost: 200 Gill (Sell Price: 100 Gil)
Purchase Locations: Melmond
Find Locations: Elf Castle (Locked Room)
Who Can Equip It: Fighter
Knight, Ninja
Special Properties: N/A
___________
___~B~ Gloves_________________________________________________________________
===========
Gloves can be made from a variety of cloths or materials, ranging from simple
and stylistic to rough and protective. A good pair of workgloves can spare the
hands from a variety of pain and problems, ranging from cuts and scrapes to
having to touch "icky substances" - like when you have to clean the
bathroom...and somehow, I don't envision Black Mage cleaning the bathroom
without gloves (heck, he'd probably just nuke the room and say "job's done").
These simple items of attire give minimal digit protection, but are the first
"gauntlets" that you can find for every member of your party. Until you start
getting ProRings (which is a very long time away), these are the best bet for
your Mages and Thief. As for your Black Belt, don't even bother...it won't aid
them.
Absorb Rate: 1
Evasion %: -1
Cost: 60 Gil (Sell Price: 30 Gil)
Purchase Locations: Pravoka
Find Locations: N/A
Who Can Equip It: Everyone (base classes)
Everyone (prestige classes)
Special Properties: N/A
__________________
_____~C~ Iron Gauntlet________________________________________________________
==================
Ah, Iron. Powerful metal, strong stuff from which many a suit of armor has
been made. Iron Gauntlets usually accompanied such suits, to give accompanying
protection to the hands, sometimes even attached to the armor itself by chains
or bands of leather. These Gauntlets (obviously) are separate, providing iron-
like protection without the rest of the armor attached. They don't come early
in the game, but they are a decent upgrade for your fighter.
Absorb Rate: 4
Evasion %: -5
Cost: 750 Gil (Sell Price - 375 Gil)
Purchase Locations: Melmond
Find Locations: Northwest Castle (Locked Room)
Castle of Ordeals (Floor 3)
Who Can Equip It: Fighter
Knight, Ninja
Special Properties: N/A
__________________
_______~D~ Opal Gauntlet______________________________________________________
==================
Ah, another Opal item! Imagine that! You know, I'd love to know why the
programmers (or translators) picked Opal instead of some other precious
gem/stone. I mean, Opals are rare, sure...but there are tons of gemstones that
are even harder to find, like Rubies, Emeralds, Pearls, or Diamonds. Why
Opals, then? I have no clue.
Anywho, this is a Gauntlet made of Opal. It's the best gauntlet (absorb) in
the game, but only a Knight can use it. Therefore, give it to your knight or
sell it. I wonder if this thing is kinda like Thanos' gauntlet (Marvel
Comics). For those of you who don't know, Thanos' had a gauntlet in which he
imbedded 6 gems. These gems controlled a different aspect of the universe
(Time, Space, Power, Reality, Mind, and Soul), and allowed him to effectively
take over the entire Universe. Maybe the Opal Gauntlet is a gauntlet with
encrusted Opals, these gemstones giving added defensive power than what the
gauntlet would normally give? Hmm...
Absorb Rate: 8
Evasion %: -3
Cost: N/A (Sell Price: 10,000 Gil)
Purchase Locations: N/A
Find Locations: Sea Shrine (5th Floor, amongst the Mermaids)
Floating Castle (2nd Floor)
Who Can Equip It: Knight
Special Properties: N/A
___________________
_________~E~ Power Gauntlet___________________________________________________
===================
If there ever was a gauntlet to have for a fighter (or fighter-type), this
would be it. The Power Gauntlet gives a decent amount of protection (2nd best
in the game, behind the Knight-only Opal Gauntlet), but it's best ability its
magical use. When used as an item in battle, the Power Gauntlet casts the
magical spell SABR on its user, enhancing their fighting ability. Since you
can use the item an infinite number of times, and it is a fairly powerful
gauntlet on its own, you should give it to your Ninja, Fighter/Knight, Red
Mage/Wizard, or Black Belt/Master and watch them get even MORE powerful. Rock
on!
Absorb Rate: 6
Evasion %: -3
Cost: N/A (Sell Price: 5,000 Gil)
Purchase Locations: N/A
Find Locations: Sea Shrine (Floor 2B)
Who Can Equip It: Fighter
Knight, Ninja, Red Wizard
Special Properties: ~When used as an item in battle, the Power Gauntlet casts
SABR on its owner. In case you didn't know, SABR causes
the user's weapon to increase 40% in hit percentage and
15% in damage, so this is especially useful for fighters,
ninjas, black belts, etc. Your fighting types, that is.
You have an infinite number of uses of this item, so feel
free to boost yourself however often you want.
____________
___________~F~ ProRing________________________________________________________
============
Ah, the ProRing. This handy-dandy little artifact is the best possible
gauntlet for a variety of classes, although I can't seem to figure out why. I
am generally under the impression that the "ProRing" was taken from Dungeons
and Dragons, in which your characters could sometimes find magical rings that
would give various benefits to the wearer. One such ring was the "Ring of
Protection", which would increase that person's armor class and make them
harder to hit. In Final Fantasy, the ProRing gives the best armor of ANY
Gauntlet - and that includes the Opal Gauntlet, which gives the same absorb but
drops your evasion more. Heck, the ProRing also protects against death magic,
making it better than the coveted Opal Accessory.
That's not all, though - the ProRing can be equipped by everyone in the game,
including the Black Belt/Master class. This allows anyone in the game to gain
the benefits of the best armor (gauntlet) in the game AND magical defense. The
only downside to the ProRing is that it has a fairly steep cost (20,000 Gil).
However, there are 3 ProRings to be found in the game, so if you don't feel
like saving up the money you can just head to the Floating Castle or Temple in
the Past and pick yourself up one (or three). Get it, I urge you!
Absorb Rate: 8
Evasion %: -1
Cost: 20,000 Gil (Sell Price: 10,000 Gil)
Purchase Locations: Gaia
Find Locations: Floating Castle (1st Floor)
Floating Castle (3rd Floor)
Temple in the Past (2nd Basement, Kary's Floor)
Who Can Equip It: Everyone (base classes)
Everyone (prestige classes)
Special Properties: ~Protects the user by reducing the probability of an
instant-death attack's success. In other words, attacks
like "RUB", "ZAP!", and "XXXX", will be less likely to
work.
____________________
_____________~G~ Silver Gauntlet______________________________________________
====================
The Silver Gauntlet is just like the rest of the Silver Equipment - mid-range
in defensive capabilities, lacking any truly defining defense but making up for
it by the fact that it can be purchased. You don't have to worry about trying
to fight off hoards of enemies to find it, nor do you have to weave through a
frustrating labrynth to locate it...no, you can just buy it and have your
Fighter (or whatever) equipped with better hand protection!
Absorb Rate: 6
Evasion %: -3
Cost: 2,500 Gil (Sell Price: 1,250 Gil)
Purchase Locations: Crescent Lake
Find Locations: Ice Cave (Basement 2)
Who Can Equip It: Fighter
Knight, Ninja, Red Wizard
Special Properties: N/A
__________________
_______________~H~ Zeus Gauntlet______________________________________________
==================
Zeus, leader of the Greek Gods, was a powerful man whom was feared and
respected by Olympians and mortals alike. He was known as the god of
lightning, grabbing bolts of eletricity out of the air and using them as
javelins to strike down foes. Due to this, finding an artifact of Zeus's is
sure to mean 2 things - it's going to be powerful, and it's going to have
something to do with Lightning. Ladies and Gents, I give you the Zeus
Gauntlet.
The Zeus Gauntlet is one of those items that you'll want to keep around,
regardless of whether or not someone in your party can equip it. It has the
3nd highest Gauntlet defense in the game (after the Opal Gauntlet and ProRing),
so it's not too shabby in the Absorb department. The real clincher is its
magical ability...see, if you use the Zeus Gauntlet as an item in battle, it
casts LIT2 on all enemies (since LIT2 is always cast on all enemies, this
shouldn't come as much of a surprise to you). Therefore, you have an infinite
number of uses of LIT2 thanks to this item, and a fair amount of defense to
boot. Definitely pick it up, I highly suggest it.
Absorb Rate: 6
Evasion %: -3
Cost: N/A (Sell Price: 7,500 Gil)
Purchase Locations: N/A
Find Locations: Castle of Ordeals (2nd Floor)
Who Can Equip It: Knight, Ninja, Red Wizard
Special Properties: ~When used as an item in battle, the Zeus Gauntlet casts
LIT2 on all enemies. The item has an infinite number of
uses of this spell, so keep it around even if you can't
equip it, you'll at least have some free spells at your
disposal!
================================ Final Fantasy ================================
------------------------VIII: Bracelets------------------------
================================ Final Fantasy ================================
The bracelets of Final Fantasy are an odd group of items. Much akin to the
bracelets of Final Fantasy VII, they take the place of normal armor and provide
the user with defense that oft rivals that of more cumbersome suits. Most
likely magical devices, Bracelets have little weight to them (and thus little
evasion drop) while providing the user with a good deal of Absorb protection.
These little bits of metal (or opal) give no protection against magic or
special attacks, though, like certain suits of armor can (i.e., Fire armor
protects against ice, yet no bracelet will provide ice protection). Their
versatility in who can equip them - namely, anyone can use bracelets - makes
them highly sought-after equipment. Heck, even if you don't need 'em you can
sell them for a high return! Here they are:
A) Copper Bracelet C) Opal Bracelet
B) Gold Bracelet D) Silver Bracelet
____________________
_~A~ Copper Bracelet__________________________________________________________
====================
For a good portion of the beginning of the game, the Copper Bracelet is the
best armor you'll find for your Wizards (Black and White). However, their
costly price can make them more troublesome to pick up than their worth - for 4
added absorb, you have to save up 1,000 gil per mage! However, it IS worth it,
since they have such little protection of their own to work with and cannot use
much in the way of other defensive items (shields, helms, etc).
Absorb Rate: 4
Evasion %: -1
Cost: 1,000 Gil (Sell Price: 500 Gil)
Purchase Locations: Elfland
Find Locations: Marsh Cave (Basement 3)
Who Can Equip It: Everyone (base classes)
Everyone (prestige classes)
Special Properties: N/A
__________________
___~B~ Gold Bracelet__________________________________________________________
==================
For parties with more than 1 Black/White mage, the best armor you're going to
find for them is the Opal Bracelet or their respective shirts (which give less
Absorb but are specialty items that you should keep ahold of anyways). What do
you do until you can get your hands on such coveted pieces of equipment?
Simple - buy them a couple of Gold Bracelets, providing excellent protection
from attacks albeit at a costly price. For ten times the price of a Silver
Ring, you too can have an Absorb of 24 (from armor alone). Until you find
better, you'd best get one of these!
Absorb Rate: 24
Evasion %: -1
Cost: 50,000 Gil (Sell Price: 25,000 Gil)
Purchase Locations: Gaia
Find Locations: Castle of Ordeals (3rd Floor)
Who Can Equip It: Everyone (base classes)
Everyone (prestige classes)
Special Properties: N/A
__________________
_____~C~ Opal Bracelet________________________________________________________
==================
I, personally, consider this the best piece of armor in the game. Sure, it
only gives the same Absorb as the Fire, Ice, and Steel suits of Armor, and is
overshadowed by the suits made of Opal and Dragon...but so what? Only the
Fighter, Knight, and Ninja can don the Fire/Ice armor, and the Ninja can't
handle the Steel armor. Heck, only the Knight can equip the top 2 pieces of
armor in the game - the Opal and Dragon - meaning the Opal Bracelet should look
pretty darn good to your characters. If you have a party with no
Fighter/Knight, then you can't even use the Steel, Opal, or Dragon Armor.
Thus, the Opal Bracelet is extremely useful because it provides a VERY high
amount of absorb to anyone who wants it. Give it to your Black/White/Red Mage
or Wizard and watch them have as much absorb as a Fighter (from the armor, that
is).
Also, it doesn't give any magical protection from the elements...but so what?
You're going to be physically hit a lot more than you are going to be magically
attacked, so you might as well go for the absorb than a lesser armor with
magical resistance.
Absorb Rate: 34
Evasion %: -1
Cost: N/A (Sell Price: 32,500 Gil)
Purchase Locations: N/A
Find Locations: Sea Shrine (5th Floor, amongst the Mermaids)
Who Can Equip It: Everyone (base classes)
Everyone (prestige classes)
Special Properties: N/A
____________________
_______~D~ Silver Bracelet____________________________________________________
====================
The Silver Bracelet, first found in the Marsh Cave (after a risky trek back in
once the Mystic Key has been acquired) and purchased in Melmond, is a definite
must for your magic wielders. It gives a worthwhile boost in Absorb - 4
(Copper Bracelet) to 15 (Silver Bracelet) - and is the best armor they'll be
able to equip until you can get your hands on an Airship. Needless to say,
this won't be for quite a while, so save your gil and buy one for whoever needs
one. They will definitely need it!
Absorb Rate: 15
Evasion %: -1
Cost: 5,000 Gil (Sell Price: 2,500 Gil)
Purchase Locations: Melmond
Find Locations: Marsh Cave (Basement 3)
Who Can Equip It: Everyone (base classes)
Everyone (prestige classes)
Special Properties: N/A
================================ Final Fantasy ================================
---------------------------IX: Various---------------------------
================================ Final Fantasy ================================
If it don't fit anywhere else, you'll find it here!
_____________________
_~A~ Revision History_________________________________________________________
=====================
10-23-02: So I started this FAQ today. Rock!
11-01-02: After putting in bits of typing every day at work (using my
15-minute breaks to get some FAQing done), the guide is
complete. It would have gone a lot quicker if I hadn't had
so much trouble with the computer systems at work, but you
can't win 'em all, eh?
03-14-03: Format revisions!
___________
___~B~ Thanks_________________________________________________________________
===========
~CJayC (CJayC@gamefaqs.com, www.gamefaqs.com) for putting this FAQ up. Your
hard work as earned my respect.
~Al Amaloo (www.gamewinners.com) for being such a cool guy, and having a great
site. Your tenacity will live forever!
~Vertsk8pro@hotmail.com for giving me a heart attack with your childish "I
stole your FAQ and sold it with my name on it" antics. Because of that, I now
do dozens of things to make sure people don't steal my work. If they do, I
know exactly what to look for to see if they took MY work or not.
~Bryan Clevenger for writing one of the darn funniest webcomics I've ever seen.
For the uninitiated, go to www.NuklearPower.com and check out 8-bit theater.
If you like Final Fantasy - and brother, if you're reading this then you most
likely do - then you'll love his comic strip. Start at the beginning, though,
'cause it's a lot better if you do. Trust me.
~Adrian Acuff (banzai15@hotmail.com) for reminding me that yes, Black Belts
CAN equip ProRings. I couldn't remember if they could or couldn't, so I
guessed...incorrectly. Corrections made, thanks to Adrian!
~Uh...I can't exactly thank God for the role he's taken in my life, because
that would seem like I'm trying to force my religious opinions on someone else
(which I'm not). Therefore, I'd like to thank "Murray" for the role he's
taken in my life (Murray, you know who you are).
______________
_____~C~ NO THANKS____________________________________________________________
==============
If you write me asking for help with the game, I'll send you a link to my FAQ.
If you ask for specific help, I'll try to aid you. However, if you ask me
about something that is already covered in the FAQ, I will simply refer you to
the FAQ again. I wrote the FAQ so that your questions would be answered here,
not so I could repeat that FAQ bit by bit through e-mail for the next few
years. If you need clarification about something in the FAQ, ask about it -
but don't ask me to repeat anything.
===============================================================================
End FAQ
===============================================================================
The following are sites that can NOT use my work. If you see these sites using
ANY of my FAQs, please e-mail me ASAP. Each of these websites are sites that
have plagiarised myself or others in the past, or simply taken our work(s)
without our prior permission. Since they do not have enough respect for the
authors (or an ignorance of the law), I am expressly forbidding them from using
my work. I will not promote such sites that partake in these actions.
911 Codes http://911codes.com
9 Lives http://www.9lives.ru/eng/
Bean's PlayStation Dimension http://www.bean.dk/psx/index.htm
Cheat Code Central http://www.cheatcc.com
Cheat Index http://cheatindex.com
Cheat Matrix http://cheatmatrix.com
Cheat Search http://cheatsearch.com
Cheatstop http://www.panstudio.com/cheatstop/
CNET Gamecenter http://games.netscape.com/Faqs/
Console Domain http://www.consoledomain.co.uk
Dirty Little Helper http://dlh.net
Dark Station http://www.darkstation.com/
Dreamland http://kirby.pokep.net
Games Domain http://www.gamesdomain.com
Game Express http://www.gameexpress.com
Games Over http://www.gamesover.com/
Mega Games http://www.megagames.com
Square Haven http://www.square-haven.net
Ultimate System http://www.flatbedexpress.com
VideoGaming.net http://www.videogaming.net/
Cheats.de http://www.cheats.de
(Taken from Jim "Red Phoenix" Chamberlin's FAQ Theft Guide, as well as added
onto.)
As I stated above, if you want to use one of my guides, I ask that you e-mail
me to gain my permission first. I like to keep track of which sites use my
work, so I know where to send the updates, and it's a little difficult to keep
you updated if you don't e-mail me.
This FAQ Copyright Reverend Eric "Vegita" Johnson, March 2003